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Is “lawmakers” in this sentence referring to Congress in 1982, or something else? Edited to add: Or did you mean…
And yes, there are multiple reasons people criticize AI. That's not at all surprising; AI is large, and there are…
and was depicted, the person wasn’t curious whether the image was AI or not, he was described as frantic and…
What’s happened here is that over time, lawmakers have tortured the original VRA to do things it wasn’t originally intended…
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Category Archives: International issues
“My Face Became Eyes; My Eyes, Hands” – Translation Strategy and Metaphor
I am on sabbatical this semester to work on a translation of Ilahi Nama, The Book of God, by Farid al-Din Attar. I’ve been working on this book in bits and pieces for the past couple of years, producing first … Continue reading
Posted in Iran, Writing
4 Comments
Learning How to Talk to Iran Means Learning to Understand Iranian Culture
This is from a recent op-ed in the New York Times, “How to Talk to Iran,” by Seyed Hossein Mousavian and Mohammad Ali Shabani: For thousands of years, Persian culture has been distinguished by customs that revolve around honor and esteem. … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
3 Comments
“Argo” Is a Very Well Made Movie that Ultimately Left Me Cold
We went to see Argo last night, the new movie starring Ben Affleck that is based on Antonio Mendez’ book about his mission to rescue six Americans during the Iranian hostage crisis in 1979-1980. I went expecting to see a Hollywood … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
5 Comments
Nicholas Kristof Reports on his Trip Through Iran
I’m glad to see reporting coming out of Iran (here and here, both by Nicholas Kristoff) that is based on a journalist’s first-hand encounters with ordinary Iranians. It’s not just that it’s important for readers in the United States to … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
2 Comments
For Obama, if you’re male and near a terrorist, that makes you guilty. So die.
From a New York Times article about the US’s killer drone program: Mr. Obama embraced a disputed method for counting civilian casualties that did little to box him in. It in effect counts all military-age males in a strike zone … Continue reading
Posted in International issues, Sexism hurts men
10 Comments
The One Article You Must Read Today
From Peter Sagal of “Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me” fame. It isn’t particularly funny: The first soldier was in bed, surrounded by six members of his family, including his fiance, who was slumped over asleep. His left foot was missing, and … Continue reading
Posted in Afghanistan
22 Comments
Is Mitt Romney unusually stupid?
I’ve been assuming that Romney is pretty sharp. But now I’m wondering. From Romney’s big Iran op-ed in the Washington Post. Until Iran ceases its nuclear-bomb program, I will press for ever-tightening sanctions, acting with other countries if we can … Continue reading
Posted in Elections and politics, In the news, Iran
10 Comments
“The Duality of Life in Iran” – from Tehran Bureau
In The Duality of Life in Iran, Tehran Bureau’s Correspondent at Large writes the following: Life in Iran is split in halves: the half lived in the open and the half lived behind closed doors. And this duality goes deep: … Continue reading
Posted in Iran
3 Comments
The Teller of Tales is Reviewed by Aria Fani on Tehran Bureau
Aria Fani has published on Tehran Bureau a review of my book, The Teller of Tales, which is a translation of the first five stories of Shahnameh, The Book of Kings, also known as the Persian (or Iranian) national epic. … Continue reading
I am a Translator of Classical Iranian Poetry. Or Maybe I’m Not.
So I found out yesterday that I was not elected secretary of my union. I ran not because I was eager to get into union work per se, but because there is serious work that needs to be done on … Continue reading
Posted in Iran, Writing
6 Comments
"I kind of find it funny that three people gave four very different reasons why they think that people have…